Contents

Game Mechanics

UMM 5 was a modified Mafia game with 4 factions, mirroring the already balanced setup of UMM IV and UMM III: 4 Baddies (The 3 Horsemen and Apocalypse), 1 Indy (Galactus), 9 Goodies (The Super Heroes). Additionally, one of the Baddies and one of the Goodies were part of another faction The Secret Alliance, with separate BTSC and WinCon.

Rules

The Day: Will last about 24 hours. During the day, everyone votes for someone to be lynched.

The Night: It will be about 20 hours for receiving PMs, and I must have all PMs in by that time. The post will be written and go up w/ in the next 4hrs.

Addressing the Host: For any questions or comments or anything else that is addressed towards the host, please color the text in red so that it will be easier for me to identify. Thank you :)

In the event of a Tie Lynch Vote: Both players will be killed

Blocks: Will not have any effect on RIDs and will NOT be mentioned in any post. It will be as if the initial action never occurred. The blocked player will be privately informed that they were blocked, but not by what role. Blocks will stay in effect during the night they were initiated AND the following day. Initial blocking abilities Trump everything else in the event of a paradox.

Meditation: Any night that a player has an action to make, they may forgo all night actions (or actions for the following day) in order to clear themselves of Galactus’ mind-enslavement. No player will actually know if they had been enslaved before or after the meditation.

Powerplay: Due to the structure of the factions, no powerplaying will be allowed in this game. You never know if your teammate is really your teammate...

Role Description

The Super Villains
Apocalypse has brought together some of the most powerful beings ever to fill his roles as Horsemen. They are in search of their 4th and final member to fill the role as the Horseman of Death, so that Apocalypse may take over the world.
One random member among them has secretly joined with a Hero, in a quest to rule supreme over all others.
As a group they get to make one kill each night (they must choose which member of their BTSC will carry out the attack).
They have BTSC and win as the last faction standing. The BTSC Villains know the ID of Apocalypse.
{FW= ((2+3+3+2)x(3/4)x2+4) = 19}

Deadpool, The Horseman of Pestilence (Wade Wilson):(Starts with BTSC) What better pest could there be to fill the role of pestilence? Any day but not two in a row, Deadpool may use his newfound power to distract and stop the lynch of any player IF he is able to RID his target. {W= 3+1-1-1= 2} The ability is considered to be used only if it is successful. *The saved player will not have their ID revealed publicly for that lynch. *Must have the RID PMed to the host before the end of the day. *He may submit multiple RIDs (1 for each player) pending the lynch results. *This ability cannot be blocked.

Omega Red, The Horseman of Famine(Arkady Rossovich):(Starts with BTSC) A diabolical, bloodthirsty serial killer from Russia that was experimented on to create the Soviet equivalent of Captain America. Each night Omega Red may emit Death Spores to infect a player of his choosing. But killing these strong willed Super Heroes is more difficult than with normal humans. So it takes two consecutive successful attempts before he can fully bond. During the first attempt, Omega Red leaves a lasting impression on his victim. Omega Red PMs a message and the target’s name to the host. If Omega Red successfully infects the same player again the following night, he will kill that player. (A save may prevent the initial attack or the second attack). The host passes on the message to the target at the end of the night. **If Omega Red is blocked at night, his message will still go through, but the bonding action will not be successful. {W= 1+3-1= 3}

Hulk, The Horseman of War (Bruce Banner):(Starts with BTSC) (Starts with BTSC) Our last battle in UMM4 ended in a secret alliance victory between Hulk and Apocalypse. Now, in UMM5, Hulk returns as the most powerful of Apocalypse's Horsemen, The Horseman of WAR. As Bruce Banner, he may additionally use his incredible intelligence to transmit a message to The Celestial Host that will be included in the night post. In addition, with his new abilities bestowed upon him by Apocalypse to better control his change, each night he may Hulk-Out and easily stop any player of his choosing from acting. (has no effect on Wolverine’s auto-save of Jean Grey) Hulk may not choose the same player two nights in a row. {W= 1+2.5-0.5= 3}

Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur): A shape-shifter with complete control over the atomic structure of his body. He knows the identities of all the Horsemen and wins with them, but blends in with the Super Heroes. However Apocalypse will only sit back and watch unless he is summoned to replace the fall of a Horsemen. In this situation he may be summoned will step up to assume the role of the fallen horseman until a suitable replacement can be found. Once summoned, he takes on the ability of any one Horseman that died before him. **If spied (at any time) he shape-shifts and appears to be ‘Spidey’. {W= 2+1-1= 2}

Summoning Rules:

The Horseman BTSC may not call upon Apoc to join the BTSC until one of them dies, and Apoc does not join the BTSC group until the BTSC Horsemen have chosen to call upon him for help.

Apoc will not have BTSC until the Horsemen choose to summon him.

Apoc may only gain an ability once, during the game, and only at the time summoned, and only from a deceased Horseman.

Apoc will join the BTSC at the end if whatever cycle he is summoned.

Apoc may take on the ability of a Horseman that dies at the same time that he is summoned. Example: If Omega Red dies at the end of day 1, Apoc can be summoned right then at the end of Day 1 and immediately take over Omega's ability. In other words if he is added at the same time that another Horseman happens to die, the living Horsemen will get to choose which of the deceased Horsemen's abilities that Apoc will assume. If there is a tie in deciding the assumed role, then Apoc will be the tiebreaker.

Indy - Objective is to be the last one standing

Galactus: Galactus, the terrifyingly strong devourer of worlds, has come to consume the planet earth. But during his travel to Earth after being notified by his Herald, he was attacked and severely weakened in an epic battle with the combined forces of Thor and the Celestial Bb The Punisher. As a result, Galactus is severely weakened and has fallen to levels on par with his own Herald. *Galactus does not arrive on earth until D2, and is thus invincible for the first night and day. **If spied, he influences the spy-er to only see him as ‘Spidey’. **If blocked on an odd night, ability #1 (A&B) will be the one that is blocked (except for the 1st night). If blocked on an even night, the second ability will be blocked. {FW= (1+1+1+1)+(1+5.5+1+>7)+(3<6-1)+1= 17.5}

Each night he may select action A or B from both of the following main two actions:

Indy Actions

1-A: Mindread Choose a player to mind read and learn their role PLUS how to copy their ‘original unique’ ability. Galactus is the only one that is able to ID the members of the Secret Alliance through his mind reading ability. (this does not kill his target, and Galactus is not subject to the limitations of any ability he gains (with the exception of Deadpool's lynch stopper)). **IF he targets a Horseman, he will only gain the kill ability if he targets that night’s chosen killer. **IF he targets War Machine, he will gain the ability of the distinct attribute that War Machine is using that night). **If he steals Deadpool’s ability (and uses it), he will be shown as being saved by Deadpool in the post.

1-B Mentally Enslave Any night Galactus may choose a player to mentally enslave (the player will not be informed that they were targeted). The enslaved player will be willing to sacrifice themselves if Galactus is put into immediate danger of death. *All death scenarios occurring on the same night will be redirected to the slave of Galactus' choosing. *A player may not be sacrificed on the same night or the following day that they are enslaved (or on a night that they are meditating). **Any night, Players may choose to abandon their night actions, in exchange for meditating and eliminating any mind-enslavery that they may or may not have effected them. **Meditation is only successful on a night following a mind-enslavement (may not prevent mind-enslavement the same night that it is occurring).

2-A Galactus may use one of his collected abilities from 1A on any chosen target.

2-B Galactus may choose to NOT use one of his collected abilities the current night, in exchange for using TWO abilities the following night. *They must be two abilities that are collected from two different roles. *The two abilities do not have to be used on the same target.

The Secret Alliance - (They have BTSC, Objective is to be the last standing)

One Super Hero and one Horseman made a deal, that they would secretly defect from their respective groups and join forces to win this battle on their own.

This independent faction has an additional ability to save (never the same player 2X in a row, & must specify which member will carry out the saving action), AND an additional [i]secret ability[/i]. **If either is spied, then they show up as they normally would individually. **A successful save will appear to be made by 'Spidey'. {FW= (2.5+0.5+0.5+0.5+2.5+1.5-0.5+2)x2= 19}The Secret Ability will be revealed publicly for the first member of the Secret Alliance to be Lynched, but nothing will be revealed if the second member is lynched.

The Super Heroes - One of the greatest Super Hero alliances to have ever existed.
Their jobs are to rid the world of the menaces that threaten them, and restore order.They win as the last faction Standing{FW= (1.5+1.5+2+3.5+1+2.5+2+2.5+5)x(8/9)= 19}

Spiderman (Peter Parker): Picks a target to protect each night. Cannot pick the same target to save twice in a row. Gains BTSC with The Scarlet Spider if there is any form of interaction between them (If Scarlet and Spiderman choose to save the same player, or if Spiderman chooses to save Scarlet, or visa versa.) Spiderman and The Scarlet’s successful saves will be ambiguous in the night posts unless they meet. **Cannot successfully save Jean Grey. **If spied just appears to be ‘Spidey’. {W= (1.5-0.5)x1.5= 1.5}

The Scarlet Spider (Benjamin Reilly): Picks a target to protect each night. Cannot pick the same target to save twice in a row. Gains BTSC with Spiderman if there is any form of interaction between them (If Scarlet and Spiderman choose to save the same player, or if Spiderman chooses to save Scarlet, or visa versa.) Spiderman and The Scarlet’s successful saves will be ambiguous in the night posts unless they meet. **Cannot successfully save Hawkeye. **If spied just appears to be ‘Spidey’. {W= (1.5-0.1)x1.5= 1.5}

War Machine (James Rhodes): Over the years, James Rhodes has obtained a great collection of various armors from his friend Tony Stark. Each night, in an effort to adapt to his changing military strategies, James wears a different suit to fight in: {W= 2} Night: 1-Sentinel Squad Armor (saving) 2-Chameleon Mode Iron Man 2.0 (Spy) 3-Stanetech Based War Machine Armor (block action) 4-War Machine Armor V (killing) 5&beyond-Choice of any previous armor (but not the same two nights in a row). Then War Machine may select a player to use it against (including himself).

Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze): Having made a deal with the devil, during the night Johnny Blaze becomes an incredible and unstoppable force known as Ghost Rider. Only during the day, in the form of Johnny Blaze, is he susceptible to death. However, his interference is not appreciated by the Celestials, so Ghost Rider will die at the end of the day if at any time he gets 50% or more of the total possible votes against him (this includes the influence of the Punisher ability). Ghost Rider’s vote counts as zero (though the Punisher may still gain from predicting Ghost Rider’s actions). During any night but not two in a row, Ghost Rider may summon hellfire to incapacitate a chosen player for the night. {W= 3+2.5-1-1= 3.5}

Hawkeye (Clint Barton): Stealthy and agile, with vision that explains his name. Each night he may stealthily track down and spy upon a particular player. (PMs the Host the name of a player each night, and the Host PMs the role following the night post). {W= 1}

Thor (Donald Blake): Though still alive after this battle with Galactus, Thor has been weakened in his failed attempt to stop the monster. Any DAY but not two in a row, he may use his hammer Mjolnir to summon the Anti-Force to knock out a player for up to 48 hours (One night and one day cycle, takes effect at the end of the day that the PM is received). Thor must PM the player's name to the host before the day vote ends. The targeted player may not use any night or day power or vote, and will only able make only 1 post (If the player chooses to make more than one post, or chooses to make a vote that will not count, Thor will automatically crush the player, and that player will be unable to act for another night). The targeted player will still be subject to the lynch AND night actions while knocked out. This action will not be mentioned in any post. **Thor may awaken the target at any time (takes effect at the end of that cycle). **Thor cannot knockout himself. **If blocked at night, Thor would not be able to act the following day, and/or would be forced to release anyone currently knocked out. {W= 2.5-1+1= 2.5}

The Punisher (Frank Castle): Not having true powers like the rest of the cast, The Punisher must be more careful. Each night he can set traps by making (1/4)*n different predictions about what specific night actions will take place (Role-Y will choose Player-X, and may not predict any sort of inactivity). For each trap that he lays correctly, the role that falls for the trap will lose their vote the following day, and The Punisher gets that additional vote in the following day’s lynch as his own. If he gets all predictions correct, he will have perfectly orchestrated his traps, and be safe for the night in addition to the additional votes that he gained. (the results of 1/4*n will always be rounded down but never equal less than 1, n=number of living players going into the night) **If blocked, he loses all guesses. **The Punisher may not predict meditation. {W~ 2}

Wolverine (Logan / James Howlett): A wild vigilante who kills for the Innocents, and is in love with his long-time friend to Jean Grey. Wolverine has the ability to eviscerate someone any night but not two in a row. However, if Jean Grey has a successful kill attempt made against her on the night that Wolverine is attacking someone else, then Wolverine abandons his initial target and filets the player that is targeting his Jean (only applies to Omega Red if it's the second attempt) and saves her. If Jean is attacked on a night where Wolverine is inactive, he will just save her and will not kill the attacker. Wolverine may not target Jean to kill. (knows the ID of Jean) {W= 3-1+0.5= 2.5}

Jean Grey: Adoring friend of Wolverine (Logan). As long as the Wolverine is alive, Jean cannot be killed, but she also acts the part of a pacifist and will not act. However, if Wolverine dies, Jean will erupt into the almighty and vengeful Phoenix! Thereby gaining the following ability. Any night but not two in a row, the Jean may choose to do only one of the two following actions: {W= 3-1+3= 5}

Jane Grey's actions

1-Become consumed by her emotions, and the fire of the Phoenix, and kill a chosen player to avenge Wolverine.

2-Create deadly force fields to protect a chosen player.

Details:

If any non-killing night action is taken against the protected player, then the player making the non-killing action will be killed by Jean as if the action were intended to be malicious, and Jean will be fine (does not effect daytime abilities).

However, If the action taken against the protected player is a successful kill, then the Jean will die for the protected player while killing the attacker.

Self-Saves are the only exception to triggering Jean's protection kill

Game

Secret Alliance Secret Ability

The members of the Secret Alliance were chosen randomly, and in this game the Secret Ability depends on what abilities the Hero is bringing to the table.
If The Punisher then the ability is a normal kill using the following guidelines.------------

The kill may only be used any night but not two in a row.

The Punisher will be the one to carry out the kill (unless dead), and IT WILL be mentioned in the post as Punisher making the kill (Once he's dead, the Villain may make the kill ambiguously).

This can also be used as an RID kill (but not on Horsemen), that has the EXACT same properties as the regular kill, EXCEPT the post will show the kill ambiguously being made by the S~A.

IF the kill OR Punisher's character ability is used on a Super Villain, and both S~A members are alive, then the RID of the Punisher will be outed to the Super Villain BTSC.

IF the kill or Punisher's normal character ability is used on a Super Villain, and one member of the S~A is dead, the dead member the S~A will be outed to the Super Villain BTSC.

IF the kill OR Punisher's normal character ability is used a Second Time on any Super Villain, then the other (non-previously outed) member of the S~A will be outed to the Super Villain BTSC.

Additional clarifications:

The above restriction on Punisher's normal character ability applies as long as there is a living member of the SA in the Horsemen BTSC. (In other words, if Omega Red dies, then the Punisher may predict the Villain actions without having his RID revealed).

The villain member of the Secret Alliance may never have the final say over the use of the regular Super Villain kill ability.

This information will be revealed publicly for the first member of the Secret Alliance to be Lynched, but nothing will be revealed if the second member is lynched.

Finally, because you two are the "top of the food chain" BTSC, you will be allowed to powerplay each other if you agree to it.

For the sake of preservation for any future games... I will be leaving out the other possible Secret Ability options that pertain to the other roles.

According to the rules, tomorrow’s lynch would be two players and would kill you both in the resulting 1-1 vote. So this game has ended in a TIE! CONGRATS Horsemen AND Galactus!!!

This game has been incredible to watch and has been the most entertaining UMM ever! Thank you everyone for playing!!! I will post the roster and actions and thoughts and whatnot tomorrow after I get home and this has been moved to the finished games forum.

Thank you EVERYONE for playing! It was a pleasure! And THANK YOU EDM for allowing me to jump in a kick off this game while I still had time to host! This would not have been possible without you! And thank you to my two backups! I’m sorry that I bugged you Kluemaster, and then your role died before you could do anything! And again THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT PLAYED! You were all highly active and I am VERY appreciative of that!

And Finally, this game has had so many incredible twists and turns and actions!!! Some highlight actions that stood out as game changers were Vine’s trap on Aura that prevented the SA RID kill, the lynch of EDM on D2, Maurice’s choice to copy Punisher and his lynch jujitsu that spared him on Day 4, Aura’s vote steal from Framm, and Sparrowhawk’s breakdown of Galactus’ enslavement possibilities, and the generally wonderful level of activity from all players!!! However, I have the terribly difficult choice to only choose one player to be the MVP. The player that I have chosen repeatedly changed the course of this game, and yes he was in positions to do so, but he really did take advantage of it and even kept ME guessing about what would happen next! So, I am happy to declare _Framm18 as the MVP of UMM5! Congrats Framm!

Special commendations

Host disappointments

Alternate endings

Winning Faction

Baddies

darth nox - Hulk

sparrowhawk - Apoc

Glycereine - Deadpool

Indy

maurice - Galactus

MVP: Framm18 - Omega Red

Day and Night Posts

Night 1 - Deja Vu of UMM2

"OH MY!"

Stanley jumped, surprised at the sudden voice of his Mom in the front seat, breaking his concentration on the PSP game he was engaged in the back passenger-side seat. They had been driving down some deserted back suburban roads in their red SUV on their way home from Stanley's late evening hockey game when his mother slammed on the brakes.

"Vandals! Why would they pour gas on the road!?" Out in front of the car a large single streak of flames ran across the two-lane pavement and ended in the dirt on the right side at a railroad crossing.

Stanley's Mother slowly drove the car off the side of the road to avoid the flames. If she had been going any slower she would have been going backwards "Oh my, I hope that there isn't any glass."

After what took WAY too long to accomplish, the SUV finally made it back onto the pavement 15ft ahead of the flaming bubbling pavement, and started to pick up speed.

Just before turning back to the warming glow of his PSP game, Stanley a glanced out the window. Just on the other side of the tree line, about thirty meters away, he saw a bright glow. Then the trees ended and clear as day he could see a man dressed in black... He was on a large flaming motorcycle driving down the train tracks.

Stanley couldn't take his eyes off of him. The motorcycle driver's head had giant orange flames blowing back from his head. Then he tuned and looked directly at Stanley... There was no smile, there was no flesh, only a menacing flaming skull with deep hollow eyes and a wicked grin staring back at him.

Then the motorcycle surged forward at blazing speeds leaving behind a streak of burning railroad tracks. Stanley closed his eyes, and thought of the demonic being he had just witnessed and said "Boy, I'm glad I'm not a superhero!"

"So, would you mind distracting someone for me tonight?" Asked Bruce Banner, the super-intelligent Jekyll to the Hulk's Hyde." I'm a little busy writing a very precise message for the Heroes, and it will require the full extent of my intellect to get it right. Besides, you're not doing anything tonight anyways, are you?" Bruce hid his smile, anticipating a night off. He wasn't putting as much effort into this as he was saying, he just wanted to kick up his feet and rest while Deadpool did the footwork tonight.

"Sure, hang on one second..." Replied Deadpool.

"So, tell me Moose Bruce, do you think this will work?"

........?

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"You know? Damsel in distress!"

"Then when he shows up I'll whip out my guns all bad-azz and be all-like "BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG! *click *click *click. Then do a bad ass reload... maybe throw the cartridges in the air and catch'em in the gun or somethin, then be all like "What now mutha spida? BANG-BANG-BA..."
"SHUT UP!!!!!! JUST SHUT UP!!!!!! HOLY S***!!!!!!!! FINE! Get out there and do whatever you want! Just shut your trap!"

"Cool, I'm out!"

"Wait!!! How are you gonna pick him out anyways? No, I want you to take out the guy that we were talking about earlier."

"Done. Later Mean Green."

"......

One more thing."

"WHAT!?!?!?" He could feel the green setting in due to this incredible level of stress.

"Does this dress make me look fat?"

Then Deadpool walked out the door, leaving Bruce Banner to think to himself "...Rest wasn't worth that... not even close."

LATER THAT NIGHT...

SCREEAAACH*

Ghost Rider slammed on his breaks in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen, ironically where he belonged. He turned his head back and could hear the distant screams of someone in trouble.

Burning his tires and making a standing turn with on leg down, a huge fireball erupted from the back tires, searing the paint off of a light pole 20 feet away.

His bike ROARED when he took his foot off the ground and released the brake. Heading back down the path he had just come from, splitting the fiery tracks he had previously left behind, he noticed the side of a building on a street corner up ahead of him. It had a large halogen light hanging off of it, illuminating a large torn billboard.

Written in a dripped red substance was a long and tedious message which read ““master apocalypse , tonight we strike fear into the heart of your enemies, their attempt to save him was a JOKE at best.

all of you "heroes" that see this, your days are Numbered , tomorrow we kill your leader””

“What the hell is this?” Of course he didn’t have time to bother reading this message written in blood, he had to find out where it was coming from.

Ghost Rider rode straight up the side of the building, leaving a flaming trail right through the center of the message. At full speed he made it to the roof, and rocked off into the sky. Everything went into slow motion as he turned back to look at the building below. Then extending his arm, he whipped out a long chain that wrapped around a large iron pipe on the rooftop. He then pulled hard, and time returned back to normal as his bike straightened out and landed perfectly with a loud screech.

There in front of him was the head of Segul. His face was beaten and broken, he was nearly impossible to recognize. There was no sign of his body.

“The Horsemen must have done this” he growled. “This settles it. Those pansy Heroes are going to need my help. So few of them ever have the fireballs to actually kill a Villain when it comes down to it.”

The Ghost Rider took off in a blaze of fire, leaving Segul’s melon behind.

Just as Dawn began to break, and everyone began to sigh at the sight of a new day, they all began to feel... that same old pain.
All at the same time, the people involved in last night's occurrences were brought to their knees in blinding pain.

"Hello again…" said a voice that emanated in all of their heads.

”I am Brandonb the Punisher, a Celestial, one the most powerful beings in the universe... But many of you already knew that. However, unlike our previous encounters, my contact with you is not merely for entertainment value.

I understand that Thor has made it there to warn you about our failed attempt to stop Galactus, devourer of worlds, and enemy of Celestials, from targeting Earth as his next meal. The good news is that he has been severely weakened, and is now comparable to his Herald that you know as the Silver Surfer. The bad news is that he has arrived, and it will take all of you, hero and villain alike, to stop him."

"I am ashamed to say, that I am also left in a weakened state myself after the exhaustion of battling Galactus and reviving as many of you as I could, and as a result, I cannot maintain these telepathic connections longer than a few seconds, and I cannot identify Galactus’ identity, though I know he is disguised as one of you. Each day I want you to each choose someone to remove from your battle, and at the end of each day I will contact you again to assist in removing him or her. Please choose wisely, and notify me quickly, the Universe depends upon it."

The pain began to subside as the telepathic message continued to be burned into their brains. Then they heard Brandonb comment, "Though no matter how dire the circumstance, I am still at odds with Demons. I do not trust them, and I will do what I can to also take out Zarathos, the demon of fire that infests the body of the one they call Johnny Blaze. So I will remove the one secretly known as Ghost Rider if he merely gets half of the votes at any time..."

Just then a list appeared in the heads of each combatant. A list of generic aliases... including their own name.

"Finally, and most importantly, I know that you are already facing an impending Apocalypse. So above all else remember that if you wish to come out of this victorious, do NOT become...……………"

They all felt the psychic bridge collapse between them and the Celestial. As if he could no longer support the burden....

And at that point they all realized that this was no longer a game being reffed by a controlling and virtually omnipresent Celestial being. This was a fight to the death, a fight that will decide the fate of the planet.

Day 1 - Double Trouble

"I don't have long... I'm still weak...." said a voice that painfully broke into the deepest recesses in the heads of all the participants that were fighting in this apocalyptic battle.But that I'll explain later, earlier.

”I sense that you have all come to a decision."

Akriti, DarthMask, and Aka just happened to be standing near eachother during this incident. Neither knowing the other simply by seeing eachother in their secret-identity form.

”A tie...? Well then, twice the odds that one of you might be that bastard Galactus. Goodbye DarthMask and Akaslickster.... and seconds later,both simply vanished, forcibly teleported to somewhere that could only be imagined. No one knew it then, but Slick's body, still wearing the same yellow-flowered Hawaiian shirt, would later become a spot on the windshield of a space cruiser that occupied a couple galactic beings hurtling through deep space. While no one would ever see DM's body again.

”And goodbye to the rest of you. I cannot maintain this link for long..."

Then everyone began to return to their senses, and return to their respective secret shelters.

But then Akriti noticed the other men had vanished, with the only trace being a cellphone and wallet strangely left sitting on the ground. She picked them up and opened the cell phone first.

"Missed call - Mary Jane Watson" was all it said on the screen. (**If you don't know what this means... shame on you )
And a really cool wallpaper in the background of the screen.

Then she opened up the wallet it to read the driver's license, hoping to find a clue as to who he was, or where she might find him.

"James Rhodes" She read to herself she opened the flap where the bills would normally be stored. "I wonder who..." and then she saw it.

A refined drawing of a battle-suit of sorts. Something that this man must've taken great pride in designing.

Night 2 - Friendly FIRE!?!?

Again dusk set in on the city of Manhattan. From a far distance in the suburbs, a late evening sky diver had a bird’s eye view of the city. He thought about how the lights shining bright through of the office windows in the various sky scrapers looked like vertical lines of low stars descending into the earth’s surface.

“What the hell?” A bright fiery star then appeared shooting up that vertical line of stars, leaving a bright beautiful trail behind it. The sky diver lifted her goggles momentarily and rubbed her eyes thinking that the lights must have been blurring together.

As he continued to drive his flaming motorcycle up the side of the high-rise, keeping his tires between the edges of the glass and on the thin steel I-beam separating them. Then he saw something up ahead hurtling towards him.

He barely had time to react and swerve out of the way, when the body of Vineetrika came hurtling past him. He didn’t know if she was dead, but she wasn’t screaming on her way down….

SCREEEEEECH...... BOOOOM!!*

Time slowed again, as Ghost Rider ripped up on his handlebars with all of his might, bringing his front tire off the glass and forcing his bike perpendicular to the side of the building. Turning sideways, the back end of his bike kept its momentum going upward… then he slammed on his rear brakes and his back end whipped around sending the front end crashing back into the steel beam between the glass windows. This created a huge eruption radiated outwards, forcing massive plates of glass to explode out of the building.

VROOOOM*

Now facing downward, he kept his hollow hellish eye sockets pinned on Vineetrika. A fireball erupted from tail of his bike as he gassed the bike as hard as it could go.

Time resumed to normal and Ghost Rider barreled downward in the direction from which he had come, set on rescuing Vineetrika. So much force was being thrown into the building from his back tires that glass continually detached from the building in his fiery wake. And for a moment, all he could think about is how he would have been here a few moments earlier… maybe just in time, if not for…

Earlier that night,
Cloaked in the darkness of the many alleys of Manhattan, three glints of steel could be seen, slightly reflecting the light of a half-moon.

“I’m so close I can smell’em” Wolverine growled to himself. “Ah, I think I’ve got’em.”

Up ahead about 30 yards, near the far edge of the alley, a man was mounting his motorcycle, completely unaware of the stalker quickly approaching.

Then just as the man was about to kick-start the engine, he heard rapid footsteps from behind… there was no time to react.

“Don’t you know it ain’t safe to ride without a HELMET!?” Wolverine roared as he plunged his three long adamantium metal claws into the back of the man’s skull. Two came out the front of the man's head through each eye, and the third slid across the side of the man’s head, cutting through his ear. “You might get hur...”

Instantly the man’s eyes sunk and vanished into the dark depths of his skull. His ear melted and the flesh quickly vaporized by the flames that consumed it. Then with no time for him to react, Wolverine’s claws grew red hot and the flesh on his own hand melted away as it too was engulfed by the explosive flame that consumed the man’s head. Wolverine howled in pain and quickly jerked his claws out of the man, each claw sliding back through the gaping dark eye sockets.

“Heh… they get too expensive to replace” Ghost Rider hissed as he finished Kick-starting his bike. “Wolverine, if you wanted to spar, all you had to do was ask.”

“Sorry bub, I didn’t know it was you. You don’t smell the same when you’re not flaming.

Some playful banter followed the friendly joke...

I’ll let it slide this one time.” A hellish grin crossed Ghost Rider’s face, “but I have somewhere to be…”

Ghost Rider’s motorcycle then also burst into flames and transformed into the 1,000,000mpg (after all, it runs on hell fire) signature beast-cycle ridden by the legendary Ghost Rider.

“Later Bub.” Ghost Rider scoffed.

Wolverine wasn’t amused by having his line stolen, or by the painful healing process as the muscle and flesh began to recover on this burned hand.

Ghost Rider shook his head and snapped back into the task at hand.

“Just a little further”

The ground was approaching rapidly, and Ghost Rider still had a little more distance to cover before he was within grabbing distance of Vineetrika.

“No time left.” He whipped out his chain and snapped it out at the falling Vineetrika, the end just barely wrapped around her outstretched motionless wrist. Then with a quick tug, he pulled her back to him and slammed on the breaks.

Fighting gravity, and holding Vineetrika across his lap, Ghost Rider pulled up on his handle bars and hit the ground with a *CRASH*

They came to a stop at the bottom of the building, next to the entryway. Flesh appeared and the fire receded from his hands as he cradled Vineetrika.

Laying across his lap with Ghost Rider’s forearm braced against her shoulder blades for support, Vineetrika raised her head and her eyes snapped open and looked around. Trying to grasp the situation, she looked up at him confused.

“Are you ok? You were unconscious falling off of this building. What happ…”

Then gravity caught up with them. A large plate of glass sliced downward and splintered as hit the sidewalk, but not before sending Vineetrika’s head rolling into the streets…

Ghost Rider’s eyes flamed when he saw the message from Hulk scrawled in blood across her shirt
“Not
Even
Close”

sigh* “Damn it”

At that moment, not too far away...

Day 2 - You Can't Have Her!

"I feel as though I am finally beginning to regain my strength. And I see that you have all come to a decision…"

"EDM, it seems that fate has turned against you. I only hope that you are the one that is trying to bring an end to this planet."

"Goodbye ED…"

“HOLD IT BUB!!! I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, BUT I CAN SURE AS HELL HEAR YOU!!!” Wolverine’s raspy roar could be heard for miles.

"I KNOW THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP YOU, SO TAKE ME INSTEAD! YOU CAN’T HAVE HER!" It was unbelievable. Tears actually began to run down the cheeks of the toughest of them all as he pleaded for the life of his love, Jean Grey.

Wolverine fell to his knees defeated. Then in shrieked into the sky, “WELL!? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY!? TAKE ME INSTEAD!!! I’M BEGGING YOU!”

"You know this woman? Are you sure you know her well enough to sacrifice yourself for her?"

"I do…"

"Well, in that case, I am convinced that she is not Galactus. So I will spare her. And you, Wolverine, I am tired and have little desire to take your life right now. So tonight I will rest"

"Now all of you should also rest. Tomorrow I will not be so kind...."

Night 3 - Ees Beesi Night

In the depths of Manhattan, the Marvels disregarded the words of the Celestial. There wouldn’t be any rest tonight, there couldn’t be any rest tonight! Everyone had places to be, and people to kill.

On the South-most edge of the city, a body dropped to the pavement, stone-cold dead. There was no fight, there was no witty banter, there was no interaction… unless you count the long range sniper bullet that entered the left side of the victim’s head, and violently blew off the right side. There was no doubt that this was a closet casket situation.

Then a few seconds later, anyone standing near the body could hear the faint “BANG” of a gun going off, far far away to the north.

One minute earlier, about a mile to the North.

Akriti and Shadow were hanging out together. They were enjoying themselves and had just left the back exit of a club that led into a (you guessed it) dark alley, where, concealed in the shadows, Omega Red was waiting for them.

“Haha! Can you believe that guy!?” Akriti giggled to Shadow. “I thought I was going to have to call security to get him to leave us alone!”

Completely unaware of the danger closing in on them, they began to walk toward the street.

Then, only 10 feet from the sidewalk, they heard a metallic noise as Omega Red’s two carbonadium tentacles scraped across the pavement, then whipped upward and wrapped around one of each of their necks.

“Ello ledies.” The thick Russian accent made the English words sound like wet leather was glued to his tongue. “Ete tuke much surshing, bat I hafe found you. Eez good you ah togesser. Veel make ete eazy for me.”

He abruptly retracted his tentacles which whipped the women back into the darkness, their screams choked off by the metal squeezing their necks.

“I vus ohping tu find you Aki.” Omega Red lifted her into the air facing him, her feet wildly kicking to touch the ground just a foot below her, her hands frantically grasping at the metal wrapped around her neck, hoping to catch a breath at any cost. “Ve both knew zat I vood be bak for you.”

“And vi ool vanted you dead Shadow. I em lucky tu hafe you both.” He lifted Shadow’s fading body up next to Aki’s.

Finding little entertainment in this helpless situation, Omega Red grew bored. “Vell zen… Gude Bie.” The metal tentacle wrapped around each woman’s neck began to tighten, silently crushing their windpipes, then the faint pop of their necks.

Omega Red allowed their limp bodies to fall to the ground, then retracted his tentacles back into his arms.

Just then, while smiling down at the lifeless corpses of Shadow7 and Akriti, Omega Red heard a gunshot ring out from about a half mile further to his North. “Ees Beesi Night”

A little earlier, on the roof of a tall building…

A faint red glow from the tip of a cigarette could be seen in the darkness, as Punisher took one last drag before flicking it over the edge.

“Let’s see what we have here…”

The Punisher looked through his scope, Southward, scanning up into the distance.

About a half mile away from him, he could clearly see the terrible fate that was befalling two women that were being attacked by what could only be described as a giant pale zombie with tentacles coming from his arms.

“I’m sorry, but not tonight ladies. There is a name on this bullet, and it’s not his…”

The Punisher continued to scan further into the distance. “A little further, a little further… Ah, there you are.”

The Punisher lifted his hand up and placed it gently on the trigger. A mile and a half was not much of a challenge, but he would take what he could get.

“Well, this has drug on long enough. Let’s get this over with.” He murmured as he squeezed the trigger…

BANG!!!

His muzzle flashed, then smoke wafted from his barrel as he watched his target’s head explode, and fall to the ground lifeless.

“Goodbye Glycereine.”

Day 3 - Fire And Ice

As twilight began to set in on Manhattan (isn’t it sad that you just read that and thought about sparkling vampires? Wtf?) the Marvels once again felt the telepathic presence of the Celestial Punisher.

"Punishaura and _GRider, I warned you both yesterday that I would not take take it easy on you today. And I especially warned you _GRider, that you were already unwelcome demon spawn.

This day has been long and exciting, but I no longer have time or patience for chitchat. It is time for you both to go.

Though I must say, you both deserve better than to simply be vaporized. Mostly because I love the Punisher, and don't care to stir up too much trouble with other immortals such as demons. So, I will not rid the Universe of you, but dismiss you in fire and ice."

Not a moment passed and Punishaura, was encased in a giant block of perpetually-cold ice. Maybe someday he would be released, if anyone cared.

Immediately he was followed by _GRider, who uncontrollably blazed red, burst into a firebomb of flame and heat, then sunk into ash on his way back to the fiery depths from which he came.

"I cannot help you to save your planet. So choose wisely tonight, it may be your last...."

Night 4 - Sacrifice

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” Jean Grey SCREAMED when she heard the news of Wolverine’s death. All that she could think about was the death of the man that she had always secretly loved.

As her sadness began to build, her eyes began to fade. Then suddenly, bordering on madness, her rage exploded into a fiery hell that consumed her.

And from that fiery hell, Jean Grey was reborn. Her power rivaled the most powerful beings in the universe. She had grown so powerful, and so mad, in fact, that she was no longer Jean Grey. It was not Jean Grey being reborn, it was the birth of the Phoenix.

“I’m coming for YOU Galactus!”

Meanwhile, another Marvel had a similar idea in mind.

“I hem komyng for you Galactos!”

Hardly moments had passed before the Phoenix had located her target.

“So, I have finally been found.” Galactus said to the mighty Phoenix that hovered before him. “I must warn you, I have regained a considerable amount of my strength. You have no chance against me right now.”

Suddenly Galactus began to grow, and grow, until he stood 20 stories tall. Phoenix matched his eye-level with her flight, never blinking while meeting his gaze.

Once Galactus was satisfied with his size, he leaned forward and plainly spoke “Goodbye Phoenix.”

And incredible blast, like nothing ever before experienced on the planet Earth, erupted from the eyes of Galactus and engulfed the Phoenix that was hovering nearby.

“I hope that’s not all you’ve got” the Phoenix authoritatively laughed as she easily sustained herself in the powerful energy blast.

Quickly realizing that he was outmatched, and in an effort to conserve his energy, Galactus shrunk back to normal human size and took off down a sidewalk of the city, while the Phoenix still hovered above watching him, amused.

She watched him as he ran, she watched him as he scattered to find a place to hide, and she watched him as he began to shape-shift red, like Deadpool, as he ran around a corner at an intersection.

"Silly boy. Where do you think you're going?"

Phoenix gracefully flew down and around the corner, leaving a spectacular fiery trail through the air in her wake. Then she saw him standing there, looking up at her in a bright red suit and black eyes.

"I can see there is no use running, and I, Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, surrender to your superior power."

"No more games. You have been a menace to this planet, and countless others. It is time that you paid for your actions." The Phoenix raised her hand and unleashed her rage in a spectacular show that was going to level the city block.

Then, just moments before she unleashed her fury, Galactus, now in the form of Deadpool came to his senses and yelled...

While the dust was settling, Phoenix realized that his last words were nothing that would have ever come from the mouth of Galactus, and her target was vaporized much more quickly than he should have. Could it be that it was never even him that she had confronted in the first place?

No, in her fit of revenge she had left herself open to having her mind manipulated by Galactus. Making her think that she was seeing Galactus, and making her think that she was seeing Galactus shapeshift into Deadpool (which then allowed the Celestial Punisher to use that cool little pic above in his post).

She had been fooled, and her target was merely a Marvel that had been enslaved to speak and act like the real Apocalypse in order to test her...

And though she searched and searched for the rest of the night, she never was able to find what became of Galactus.

As the same can be said for Omega Red, who never was able to find his target... only the ash remains of Sparrowhawk.

Day 4 - Unexpected Sacrifice

OK time out. What the heck is going on in this game!?!? I CANNOT BELIEVE the way things are turning out at the end of each cycle! EVERY SINGLE TIME that I have tried to map the course (and maybe a few other alternate courses) of this game it DRASTICALY changes direction!!!

Framm, it seems that you have, in a last second move, sacrificed YOURSELF in the last seconds of the day in order to prevent the clear win of the player that betrayed you. Nasty move, but I approve of both your methods and the clarity of you final vote change.

Well… Nothing else I can say other than, goodbye Frammega Red. It was a WILD ride!

Then Frammega went POOF and turned into a little statuesque figurine of Omega Red, which Bb promptly picked up and stuck in his pocket for safe keeping, in order to possibly bring the character back another time.

Night 5 - A Herald Is Born

The night fell one last time on the remaining three Marvels. The Marvelous jEDM Grey, The Incredible Darth Nulk, and the Mighty Molactus all made their decisions that would decide the fate of Planet Earth.

Exhausted from her transformation into The Phoenix the night before, jEDM Grey had returned to her normal form, wielding only the powers that she possessed as a normal member of the X-Men. However, don’t let that fool you, she is still one of the most talented mutants on the planet.

“My slave was convincing last night, was it not?” Molactus had found jEDM, he had gauged her true power, and now in her weakened state, he knew that she was no match for him.

“Yes, in fact, I have been baffled by something,” jEDM calmly responded to her surprise stalker, “How did you influence me last night? Your power cannot be so great as to influence my mind to force me to see what I saw last night. At least, not without me knowing.”

“The answer is that I did not influence you. I enslaved Sparrocalypse’s mind. He is an incredibly powerful mutant with motivation to take over your planet, and he is also happens to be a very talented shape shifter….” Molactus closed in on jEDM and a smile spread across his face as his body grew, and grew, and grew.

“I see now. I didn’t think you would be so easily defeated.” jEDM, completely aware of Molactus’ advances, prepared herself for one enormous psychic blast. It was all or nothing now.

“But do not be overconfident Molactus, I will not go without a fight!” jEDM burst upward, causing chunks of pavements to explode from the ground. She flew high into the air and matched his eyeline as she had done once before. Then in a show that was brilliant to behold, she used her telekinetic ability to launch those shards of pavement at Molactus.

Then she put every ounce of energy she had remaining into the most powerful psychic blast she had ever created.

Molactus responded by simply absorbing the blast

And then raised his hand and retaliated ten-fold, but at the cost of draining a considerable amount of his remaining energy.

There was one last bright flash of brilliance from the Phoenix that laid dormant inside jEDM, but its light was soon overwhelmed and extinguished by Molactus’ superior power. “You were a formidable opponent jEDM, but tonight your efforts were made in vein.” Molactus said as he uncontrollably returned to his previous small 9ft 8in stature.

Meanwhile, Darth Nulk sat and meditated. Contemplating what he could do that would possibly stop the persistence of Molactus.

Dawn was soon to break on the final day, nearly a week after the battle had begun. Darth Nulk, as Bruce Banner, and Molactus met face to face.

“Molactus, I beg you to reconsider your desire to devour my planet. I understand the source of your power, and I understand that you have not eaten in sometime, and by my calculations, in your weakened state we will likely destroy each-other considering that the Celestial Punisher will assist me in my endeavor.”

“In exchange for sparing your planet Nulk, what do you have to offer?”

Nulk thought for a moment and responded with the only thing that he could imagine. “Me.”

“I was chosen by Sparrocalypse as his most powerful Horseman in his attempt to take over the Earth. I possess immeasurable strength and my cellular structure is unique to me.”

“I see. If you agree to be my slave, my Herald… then we have a deal” Molactus responded. Nulk agreed, and once again Molactus grew to a height that rivaled the remote sky scrapers.

“SURFER!” Molactus called for his Herald, and like magic, forced him to teleport into his hands.

Molactus then scooped up Nulk and explained, “I shall empower you with the power cosmic and you shall become my willing servant. My new Herald, traveling the cosmos in search of other planets to doom.”

Galactus then expended most of his remaining power, and aided by the Surfer, in a brilliant flash of light, infused Nulk with the Power Cosmic.

Drowning in sorrow after learning the details of his new position, Nulk made one last request. “If I am to carry such a heavy burden, I must also ask you, Lord Molactus, to please resurrect my friends, my true friends, as I know you have the power.”

“So be it.”

“It is time that we leave Master.” The Surfer told to Molactus. “I have another source nearby that shall ease your hunger.”

Then, in a flash, all three took off into the sky. Earth had been spared, and the remaining Marvels lived on to fight another day. Well… most of them anyways…